


Second Chance

by AlocYrrehc



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29814507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlocYrrehc/pseuds/AlocYrrehc
Summary: Alex and Bethany get a chance at the happy ending they deserve. Originally published on FFN April 21, 2020
Relationships: Alex Vreeke/Bethany Walker, Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough/Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's note: I have made a few assumptions/changes to canon because while I want Alex and Bethany to have their happy ending, I also want them to have a reasonable shot. With this in mind, I've shortened the age gap between Alex and Bethany to 16 years instead of 21, and made the events of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle take place over several weeks, not one single day. Finally, I'm putting the events in Jumanji: The Next Level during the crew's senior year of college (Bethany doing a semester abroad rather than a gap year), making them all 22 as this is taking place. We rejoin our crew the evening after they are spit out from the events of Jumanji: The Next Level.**

Bethany stood on the porch, freezing, willing herself to find the courage to knock. She should not have come here; she should have listened to Martha and gone home and forgotten about Alex Vreeke the way he had obviously forgotten about her. Despite her fear for Martha, Spencer and Fridge, when she'd come to ask for help she'd been excited to see him. She had spent her college years doing semester after semester abroad, trying to put as much distance between herself and the married man she loved as she could. When he realized it was her at the door, Bethany she saw something flash across his face, but was it anger? Disgust? Fear? Even now she didn't know. She thought back to that moment, which felt like days ago, not hours…

" _I'm sorry, I just didn't know where else to go."_

" _No it's ok. I'm glad you came."_

" _Do you think you can help me get the machine to start?"_

_Alex sighed and shook his head "That is so dangerous."_

" _I know. But I have to try," she said, desperate for his help rescuing her friends. "They're my team."_

_Alex nodded. "Of course. I'll help you. Just… I have to call my ex-wife and have her pick up the kids."_

Alex opened the door before long before she'd managed courage enough to even lift her hand. "Hi," he said, lamely.

"Hi."

They stood there, neither sure what to say or do. Finally, Alex turned to let Bethany in. He took her coat in silence. She slipped off her boots and followed him into his office, reclaiming her spot in his chair. The silenced pressed into them as he leaned against the desk. All the anger that had been building since she'd hear him say the word, _ex_ , seemed to melt away. Without meaning to, her words came out a whisper. "But you still wear your wedding ring."

Alex looked down at his hand, surprised. "Oh," he took off the ring. "Actually, Bethany and I had been playing right before you got here. Sarah - her mom - just got remarried and Bethany's favorite game is 'wedding.' She just likes the exchanging rings part."

"Your wife is married already? How long have you been divorced?"

"Four years."

Bethany stood up like a rocket. "FOUR YEARS? Does Spencer know?" Spencer had been interning at Alex's firm the past four summers. Alex nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to burden you with this."

Bethany looked up, stared at the ceiling and willed the tears building in her eyes not to fall. "Let me get this straight. I walk out of that game to discover the man I love is in love with someone else. I spend the next five years living a life I think he would be proud of, meanwhile staying as far away from temptation as I possibly can. I have put actual, literal oceans between us, and that whole time, that whole time…"

"Bethany, you were in love with Seaplane!"

"I am in love with _you_ , Alex. _You_ kissed me and _you_ made love to me when I looked like Doctor Oberon. Were you in love with him? Or were you in love with me?" His silence was answer enough. "You can't have it both ways. Either we were both in love with our real selves, or we were both in love with our avatars."

Bethany sat down again, this time letting a few tears fall. "How could you keep this a secret? Why?"

"I didn't want to be selfish."

Bethany laughed bitterly. "That's a good one."

"Bethany!" Alex turned away from her, balling his fists in frustration. He released them and turned back to her. "I let go of Nigel's hand and the first thing I did was turn around to look for you in my room. You weren't there. Do you know how many dates I went on before I met Sarah? One. In six years. I couldn't get you out of my head." Alex took a long breath before continuing. "Shortly after I moved back here I started talking to a guy at the dog park. His daughter, Bethany, was with him. I looked at you and I realized; _this is the girl I'm in love with._ You were a child. Suddenly it occurred to me that maybe you would never get that detention after all. You would never find that game. After all, I wasn't living in 'Freak House' anymore… Seeing you gave me permission to move on. I met Sarah, who made me laugh, the first time I'd done that in years. We got married, had Bethany; life was good. Sarah and I started having problems about a year before Andy was born. Things got better for a while, but then I saw you four walking down the street…" he walked to the window, keeping his back toward her. "I tried not to think about you, Bethany, I tried. I deleted all my social media so I wouldn't be tempted to look you up. I deleted your number from my phone but…" He turned to face her again but wouldn't look at her. "She knew. Somehow, Sarah knew. She let me go." He took a deep breath, and Bethany realized she had been holding hers. "I wanted to tell you. But, I wanted you to have a life. I didn't want you to be stuck…"

Bethany moved until she was right in front of him and gently turned his face to hers. "I'm sorry. Sometimes forget that you waited so much longer. It was unfair. But Alex, I love you. That is never going to change. We deserve a chance."


	2. Chapter 2

Alex pulled Bethany into his arms and kissed her forehead. "We deserve a chance," he repeated. Bethany tilted her head up expectantly, but Alex didn't move to kiss her. Confused, having never been rejected in her short life, Bethany began to pull away. Alex held her close. "We're only going to get one chance at this, Bethany. There is so much…" he paused, searching for the right way to phrase the thoughts swirling around in his brain, "such high expectations."

"You want to take it slow," she responded, somehow both a statement and a question. Alex nodded, seeing the disappointment on Bethany's face. "You've waited five years. I've waited sixteen. I think we can wait a few more weeks."

Bethany scoffed. "Weeks! At least you've gotten laid since that time in the jungle." Bethany laughed at the look on his face, which combined a deep crimson blush as he thought of their first time with an impressively raised eyebrow of surprise at her celibacy.

_They had been hiking for weeks. After cresting yet another peak, the jaguar statue finally came into view. Reinvigorated by the sight of it, they increased their pace, each pushing themselves to the limit. The long days of hiking difficult terrain made Doctor Oberon stronger, but there was too much ground to cover and reluctantly they agreed they'd have to camp one more night. Spencer and Martha retired to the first tent quickly. Fridge caught Bethany staring at Alex and announced that he'd take first watch._

_Bethany and Alex lay facing each other in the tent. "It's almost over," Alex said. "One way or another, tomorrow is it."_

_Bethany nodded. "Is it weird that I'm going to miss this?"_

_Alex laughed. "You're going to miss this hell hole?"_

_"No, not the game-is-trying-to-kill-us stuff, but this. Us. We're a team. I've never had that before."_

_Alex's face said he didn't believe her. "Aren't you a cheerleader? The most popular girl in school? Don't you have an entire army of cheerleaders and jocks at your beck and call?"_

_"Well, yes… but it's not real. Funny how I had to get sucked into a video game to find true l-" she stopped herself, but Alex caught the slip, "friendship."_

_"I don't think we would be friends in the real world."_

_"Probably not before. But… I don't think it's going to be easy for me to go back to my old life. It all feels so juvenile. Do you know what I was doing that got me here?" Alex shook his head. "I was trying to get my boyfriend back. It was so pathetic and desperate."_

_Alex reached out and stroked her face. "I don't think you could possibly be pathetic." Bethany suddenly realized that they'd been inching toward each other, and now the entire lengths of their bodies against each other. Unfortunately for her, Doctor Oberon's second brain realized it, too. She looked away and started to roll over, but he put a hand on her shoulder, "don't."_

_She turned back to him and his lips were on hers. Or maybe she had kissed him first; in that moment it didn't matter. His lips were soft and somehow still tasted like margaritas. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer, eliminating any space between them. Bethany ground her hips into his legs, once again reminded that her body wasn't really her body. She untangled herself from him and sat up, curling her body around her knees as best she could to hide her shame and her throbbing erection. She would never make fun of nerds with hard-ons again._

_Alex scooted closer to her, careful to keep some distance between them. "Did I do something wrong?"_

_"No…" She scrunched up her face, furious at the world for this ridiculous situation she was in._

_"What is it, Bethany?"_

_"I'M NOT BETHANY RIGHT NOW." She dramatically hurled herself back onto the bedroll and starting ticking off on her fingers. "Bethany is young, hot, A GIRL, and … I mean, look at me. I'm an old fat dude."_

_"This isn't what I look like in the real world, either."_

_Bethany's whole body sighed. "Yeah, but at least you're still hot."_

_"Is that all you see in me?" he asked, a little bit scared for the answer._

_"No. I mean, at first, yes, you – Seaplane – are totally hot. You're, like, Nick Jonas hot. Not that you even know what that means. But I feel like I can be totally myself around you and you're not going to judge me. At least, not too harshly. I've never had that with anyone before. I feel like I could eat cake when I'm with you."_

_"Okay, now I'm totally confused."_

_"In the real world I'm hot – but that's it. That's all people see in me. If I lose that, I lose everything. So I workout compulsively and I haven't eaten carbs in nine years. I've been dieting since I was seven years old. Because all I'm good for is being a pretty face on a bangable body. If I don't have that, I have nothing."_

_"Ok, so you don't think you have a banging body. Or a pretty face. You're still the most amazing person I've ever met. You have so much more to offer than just a pretty face." Slowly, Alex closed the gap between them, and lowered his face to hers once more. He stopped just above her lips, and waited, until she finally reached up to meet him._

_"How… do you still… taste… like margaritas…" she gasped between kisses._

_"Jumanji magic."_

_They kissed until their lips stung, Bethany slowly getting used to being in Doctor Oberon's body. Alex sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. Bethany's heart was hammering, equal parts arousal and fear. With trembling fingers, she started on her own buttons, but stopped when Alex's hand landed on hers. "We don't have to…"_

_"I want to. I just… don't know what to do with all this," she gestured to her beard, belly and lower._

_"How about, if it feels good, we'll do it, and if doesn't, we'll stop?"_

_Bethany bit her lip and nodded, sneaking another kiss before she finished undressing herself. The ache between her legs was both familiar and completely foreign. She desperately wanted this chance with Alex. Alex moved on top of her and they resumed their exploration of each other's body's. When Alex's hand wrapped around her tumescence, she nearly exploded._

_"God, Alex… I want you… I want more…" Alex stopped and thought for a moment, ignoring Bethany's whine of protest at the sudden loss of friction, then reached into Mouse's backpack. "Wait, do you seriously think he's got a bottle of lube in there?"_

_"No," Alex chortled, pulling out the aloe leaves they'd collected earlier for Bethany's sunburn. "But we have this."_

_Bethany arched a brow. "You've been alone in this jungle way too long."_

_"And we've been talking way too long," he rumbled back, wrapping his body around hers once more. He squeezed the aloe onto his fingers and reached down, stroking with care until Bethany relaxed, then pushing further. Bethany let out a hiss that turned into a mewl of pleasure after a moment. Alex worked her slowly, gently, until she was begging for more again, and again. Alex brought his lips to her ear. "Tell me what you want," he demanded._

_"You. All of you. Please… please…" Alex wasted no time and pressed into her, gently at first. Time slowed. Clinging to Alex, overwhelmed by the sensation, Bethany was unable to do anything but repeat "oh my god, Alex, oh my god," over and over until even that was too much for her. The earth stopped spinning as Alex and Bethany surrendered to their small deaths, and as her body sank into blissful oblivion, she could just make out the three words whispered against her chest._

_"I love you, too," she thought._


	3. Chapter 3

Alex's face was cartoonishly pink, even his ears had started blushing. "It's been longer for me. Sarah and I… we hadn't for a while before you four showed up. And after I saw you…" He trailed off, but Bethany thought she understood what he meant. Stretching upward, she kissed him hard, not giving him a chance to turn away. An eternity passed for Bethany before Alex responded, sweeping her into his arms and laying her on the couch. They kissed until they were breathless, a tangle of limbs, until Alex's phone vibrating off the desk and crashing to the floor separated them.

"That's probably Sarah, I'll be right back." Alex rushed to answer before the buzzing stopped. From the one-sided conversation she could hear, one of the children woke from a nightmare and needed a song from Dad to put them to sleep.

Bethany sat up, ran her fingers through her hair and took a few deep breaths, unsuccessfully trying to slow her hammering heart. She could hear Alex moving around in the kitchen, speaking and singing, then silence for a long time. The fire in the hearth was nothing more than glowing embers. Bethany grabbed a blanket off the loveseat and cocooned herself in it, knees pulled close to her chest. Bethany had almost drifted away when she heard Alex's footsteps once more. He reappeared in the living room and took a seat on the chair furthest from her. 'Great,' she mused, 'we're back to this.'

"Do you not want me, Alex?" her voice was small, for despite the changes she'd made since walking out of Jumanji, a small part of her old, insecure self still lingered.

Alex shook his head, "God no, that's not it."

"Then what?"

"Where are you going next semester?"

"Thailand."

Alex nodded. "And when do you leave?"

"Next Thursday." Suddenly she understood. "I don't come back until May."

Alex came and sat on the coffee table across from her, so he was level with her face. She desperately wanted to reach out for him. "I'm not sure how to say this without scaring you off, but if we're going to do this, I'm all in. My heart broke when I lost you that day in the jungle. For a long time, I regretted not begging you to stay with me in Jumanji to try to make a life there. I don't want to lose you again."

Bethany nodded. "So we wait?"

Alex took her hands in his, pressing his forehead against hers. "So we wait."

Bethany closed her eyes, listening to the sound of their breathing, once again willing herself to move. In a rush, all her anger and fear and doubt resurfaced, and she whispered, "no." Alex pulled away from her but didn't drop her hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bethany cut him off. "No. I don't want to wait. I'm going to Thailand in a week for my last semester, and after that law school. Who knows where I'll end up? UNH, if we're lucky, but… I want this chance. I want us to take this chance. Now."

Alex just watched her for a moment, awestruck. "Ok." And without another word, they headed upstairs.

The silence broke the moment they crossed into Alex' room. The door hadn't even shut behind them and they were on each other, kissing and touching and pulling at clothes. Alex wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her ass and pulling her closer, and she jumped up to wrap her legs around him. Alex staggered backwards until his knees hit the bed, sending them tumbling onto the mattress.

Alex' legs were hanging off the bed, but Bethany straddled him and kissed him hard, pulling his sweater and undershirt free so she could run her hands under his shirt. Alex flipped her onto her back, pulled his sweater over his head, then returned his attention to her mouth. He left a trail of burning kisses down her neck, over her sweater, pausing to nip at her breast through her clothes, earning a deep moan for his effort, before reaching the thin strip of skin exposed at her navel. Another gentle nip at her stomach, then he looked up at her with unrestrained desire. He drew circles around her navel, raising goosebumps over her entire body, as he toyed with the edge of her sweater. The pressure of his thigh between her legs was intoxicating, and she pressed harder against him. He brought his lips to her navel again, trailing his tongue across her midsection.

"The question is," he began, nudging her sweater higher, "do we go up?" Her sweater was bunched just below her breasts, her breathing ragged as she watched him kiss his way back to her belly button. "Or do we go down?"

He pressed his palm against her, the heat and pressure setting her on fire. Bethany grabbed his shoulders and pushed him onto his back, straddling him once more as she pulled off her turtleneck. The lace of her bra left nothing to the imagination, and Alex reached up for her, pulling one delicate nipple into his mouth, attending the other with his hands. Bethany rocked her hips against his, savoring the feel of his length through their jeans. It had been so long since she'd been intimate with someone, and the rush was threatening to send her over the edge already.

Pulling away from him, she quickly shimmied out of her jeans, while Alex did the same. He reached for her, but she held his arms in place, taking her turn to explore his body.

He freed himself from her grip and grabbed her wrist, a pleading look on his face. "No. It's been so long… I won't last if you…"

She nodded. "Do you have a condom?"

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to reign in his lust. "Hold on." He got up and left the room, coming back a moment later with a box. He shrugged in response to her questioning look. "They're my dad's."

"Ok, get it, Mr. Vreeke!"

"Please never say that again while I'm naked."

"Deal. Wait, is he here?"

"No. He's on a cruise with his girlfriend and why are you still talking about my father?" He kissed his way down her shoulder, her breast, her navel, before finally kissing her inner thigh.

She shrugged as she leaned back, opening her legs and shivering at the feel of his breath on her. "I just wanted to know how loud I can be."

Alex gently bit her inner thigh, just above a long, thin scar he made note to ask her about later, "don't hold back." Bethany couldn't wait any longer and pushed her hips into his face, and Alex was more than happy to oblige. He nipped, licked and teased until her legs were shaking.

"I'm close… Alex I'm so close," she breathed. "I want you. All of you. Please." A flash of foil, a snap of latex and then he indulged her, and it wasn't long before they found their shuddering release together.


End file.
